Quicksilver-closure for fermentation vessels.



WIT/"[5523 W. LAZARUS. .QUIGKSILVER OLOSURB FOR PERMENTATION VESSELS.APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 11, 1908;

Patented Feb. 16, 1909 Fig.5.

' 4 "2 UMm.

WILLY LAZARUS, OF KIEL, GERMANY.

QUICKSILVER-CLOSURE FOR FERMENTATION VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed November 11, 1908. Serial No. 462,178.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NILLY LAzARUs, a

citizen of Germany, residing at Kiel, Ger- I powerful development ofgases in thebarrel or vessel to which the closing device has beenapplied, the quicksilver may be blown out. In order to prevent this,various devices have been already invented, which devices may be dividedinto three main groups. I

' the first group the tube containing the quicksilver is provided at oneor more points lying within'the normal position of the quicksilver, withconstrictions or the like, which are intended "to restrain the motionsof the quicksilver; Experience has, however, proved that those devicesare completely inoperative, and on this account they are actually nolonger used in practice. The second group provides -bafiies within thenormal position of the quicksilver, which baffles have the doublepurpose of forcing the ascending current of gas by multi le turns out ofits straight direction, and also to divide the quicksilver into aquiescent and a moving column, which columns are connected together insuch a manner'that only that column which is provided with the battlesis penetrated by the gas. These devices are the kind which have hithertobeen most in use. The inventor will not judge how far they fulfil theirpurpose, but it is obvious that they are all very complicated. Inconsequence thereof they are very expensive and moreover it isimpossible to construct them entirely of glass, and they are actuallymade of celluloid or vulcanite. These materials, however, possess thevery serious drawback that the quick silver which is in constant motionin them is rapidly fouled and consequently the parts in contact with itare soon covered with a gray deposit. Such devices must consequently befre uently cleaned, which moreover in view of the fact that forcelluloid and vulcanite only cold or at any rate luke warm water can beused, is only partially effective and moreover very troublesome. If,however, the cleansing is not frequently done, then the quicksilverdeposit soon chokes the apparatus and makes it unserviceable. The thirdgroup of these devices possesses within the normal oosition. of the quicsilver no bafi'ies, but on the other hand has above the same a veryconsiderably increased diameter of the tube. The idea at the base ofthese devices is obviously that the level of the quicksilver on reachingthe widening will no longer rise so quickly because of the veryconsiderable increase in area. It is, however, overlooked in thisconstruction that precisely this widening of the section area reducesgreatly the effective height of the quicksilver column and equally thepressure exercised by it, and that consequently large quantities of thegases are liberated in the fermentation vessel, which ejects the entirequicksilver out of the closing device. EX periments have proved thatthis cannot be prevented by the device of fixing a funnel above thewidening, the downwardly curved end of which is provided with a narrowopening.

The closing device according to the present invention is free from theabove mentioned drawbacks and is at the same time of such simplicitythat it can be constructed entirely of glass, wherebythe fouling of thequicksilver is avoided. The invention is cased upon a discovery made bythe inventor which appears to have been hitherto un known, theapplication of which moreover to the device of quicksilver closures isabsolutely new. If gases or liquids are allowed to flow through a tubehaving a funnelshaped insertion, and the resistance which the funnelopposes to these two different media on the flow in one and in the otherdirection be examined, the following surprising result is attained,namely, that with gases the resistance is grcater when these passthrough the funnel in the direction from its base to its point, than inthe opposite direction. In the case of liquids, however, the resistanceis exactly reversed, being smaller when these pass through the funnel inthe direction from the base towards the point, than in the oppositedirection. Applying this discovery to the present case in which we haveto do with a stream of carbonic acid moving upwards and with a column ofquicksilver moving in the same direc powerfully held back.

"turned downwards will only offer to the carbonic acid a relativelysmall resistance while, to the quicksilver it will-ofler' a very con--In other words the carbonic acid canpass throughalmost unsiderableresistance.

opposed while the quicksilver will be very This'is "obviously exactlythe purpose which is aimed at in all quicksilver closures.

The new quicksilver closure consist of a I u shaped bent tube in theascending limb of which, which is throughout of the same width and hasno outer projections, clips or the like, there are arranged only abovethe normal quicksilver position one or more funnels. Their points, eachprovided with a narrow opening, are turned downwards and liein the tubeaxis so that the quicksilver, when there is a powerful development ofgas, must pass through them in a thin and weak stream. The downwardlydirected funnel or funnels must not be placed in the normal quicksilverposition, because they would in this position divide the quicksilverduring its up and down motion. The consequence of this would be a suddendiminution of the effective height of the quicksilver column,

. which in turn would bring about the sudden liberation of largequantities of gas in the fermenting vessel.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 f shows one, and Figs. 2, 8 anotherform of the new apparatus, Fig. 3 being a section on line AB of Flg. 2.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 1 coni sists of a U-form bent tubea having two limbs a and (L The ascending limb 0/ is open at the topwhile the descending limb a I is connected in the usual manner by meansof a flexible tube or pipe (not shown) to the barrel (also not shown)and containing the fermenting liquid. The two limbs a and a I areconnected together by a crossbar f for the sake .of :increased strength.In the lower bent part. of the tube a is placed the quicksilver d inquantity corresponding to the ,required pressure.

v In the ascending limb a is arranged at a little distance abovethepoint to which the quicksilver during normal fermentation ascendswhen the carbonic acid is escaping, the funnel I) having its pointdirected downwards and provided with During normal fermentation thequicksilver never reaches up to the. funnel b. If nevertheless powerfulescapes of gas take place, then the quicksilver is forced to flowthrough the funnel in a thin and weak stream whereby the largerproportion of the energy imparted to it is taken away.

F or pressures of about 0.3 atmosphere and A upwardsone funnelbsufiices, wh1le 1n the case ,of, lower pressures-two or moresuch thewalls of the tube.

difference between the normal pressure and that evolved on sudden rushesof gas is relatively great.

Upon the quicksilver (1 there is moreover placed a little layer of water6 which, as is well known, has for its purpose to prevent the'retentionof little drops of quicksilver on 1n order to prevent this water layerfrom being lost during the operations, there is .provided'a' secondfunnel V 9 above the funnel or funnels b, the point of g being turnedupwards and then bent down in the manner of a horn. In addition to theopeningh in the point of this funnel there is provided at its baseanother openinge' for the return flow of the water. This funnel g actsas follows. Each bubble of carbonic acid carries a certain quantity ofwater with it. By striking on the glass funnel g the bubbles burst, andthe water deposits then and underneath the'same so that it'flowsbackagain into the water layer e. If some bubbles should not burst in thefunnel 9 they will be turned downwards by its point and burst in thesmall rin between the base andthe point of the funnel. Here also thewaterdeposit flows back through'the opening'i; According to need, twoormore of such funnels g may be provided.

The modification shown in Figs. 2zand 3 differs from the first one that..a,bell n is provided instead of the 'funnel g, but for the samepurpose. The bell is held by arms on the walls of the tube a, andbetween its outer border and the wall of the tube a there is only a verynarrow passage leftfor the escaping gas. A plurality of such bells maybe arranged one above the other, if desired. They may lie all over thefunnel or funnels b, 'or they may be mixed with the latter." The upperend of the tube a is further closed with the I exception of one or moresmall openings m,

whic may be provided in thetop or in the sides of the tube a.

I claim:

A quicksilver closure for fermentation vessels and the like, comprisinga U-sha ed tube and a funnel arranged inthe ascen ing limb of said tubeabove the normal quicksilver level, the point of the funnel beingdirected downwardly, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. V

2. A quicksilver closure for fermentation vessels and the like,comprising a U-sha ed tube and a plurality offunnels arrange in i theascending limb of said tube above the normal quicksilver'level,'thepoints -.of the funnels being directed downwardly, substantially as andfor the urpose setforth.

3. A quicksilver Q osure for. fermentation vessels and'the like,comprising a Usfhaped tube ancla funnel and a bell jarrangedin theascending limb of said tubeabove the normal vessels and the like,comprising a U-shaped quicksilver level, the point of the funnel beingdirected downwardly, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A quicksilver closure for fermentation substantially as and for thepurpose set 10 forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLY LAZARUS.

tube and a lurality of funnels and a bell arranged in t e ascending limbof said tube Witnesses:

above the normal uicksilver level, the points JULIUS ROJIKE, of thefunnels bemg directed downwardly, i HUGO LEBELT.

